Superhero films spark new craze for tights among men

The latest raft of comic book hero films like The Dark Knight have sent sales
of tights for men soaring.

Tights aimed at men are designed slightly differently from those worn by womenPhoto: AFP/GETTY

By Richard Alleyne

11:06AM BST 04 Aug 2008

UK stockists are reporting record sales of sheer, patterned and support tights for men. Retailers say men's tights are not being sold as fetish garments, but as practical, comfortable and stylish everyday wear.

"I don't know what is going on – sales have gone mad," said Kieran Hughes, director of the tights stockists Precious Collections.

"In the past two months we have gone from selling 300 pairs of tights a month to men in the UK, to selling more than 1,000."

Men give three reasons for donning skin-tight legwear. Some simply like the added insulation they bring underneath trousers. Others put them on under shorts for cycling and claim they bring such health benefits as back support. And a few even claim that tights are the latest symbol of metrosexuality.

Mr Hughes claimed: "German men have been wearing them for years. More than 50 per cent of German men wear tights, including famous German football players. I can't imagine many footballers here doing that."

Online site Legwear4men reports that it is struggling to cope with demand, while Mytights reports that its new men's line sold out almost immediately.

Tights aimed at men are designed slightly differently from those worn by women – and not just because they come in sizes large enough to accommodate burly rugby players. They usually feature support panels, sometimes include front openings that resemble flies on jeans, and also have reinforced feet.